Fight goes on after 'brutal' week, vows top Allied commander in Afghanistan

Friday 25 June 2010 11:07 BST

Victim: the body of L-Cpl Andrew Breeze of The Mercian Regiment, arriving at RAF Lyneham last week

One of the top Allied commanders in Afghanistan today described the last seven days - the worst week since the conflict began - as "utterly brutal".

Colonel Mark Dunn, Commander of Joint Operating Base, told today of his "dismay" after four soldiers died when their Ridgeback armoured vehicle plunged into a canal.

Col Dunn, originally from Hillingdon, took up his post at the sprawling Camp Bastion base in Helmand just two weeks ago and has already had to contend with some of the highest casualty figures since the war began.

It was confirmed yesterday that the four killed soldiers were on night patrol when their 19-ton vehicle collided with an Afghan police Land Rover and fell down a bank into 13 feet of water.

Two soldiers escaped but three men of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment and one from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment died.

The tragedy brought the UK death toll in the Afghan conflict to 307 and came in a week when four Royal Marines were killed in four days.

Eighteen Britons have died in Afghanistan this month and nearly all of those casualties are repatriated to England from Bastion.

Col Dunn said: "The last week has been utterly brutal. This is fighting season. The poppies have been collected and the Taliban now need to try to shake our resolve. We know they are going to try to do that and our task is to counter it.

"It's unusual to have four casualties at once. I was dismayed when I heard about the incident. Casualties are the reality of war. Every serviceman we lose is a tragedy.

"But those who remain are convinced that the fight here must continue. The war on terror needs to be fought here, not on the streets of London."

The repatriation ceremony for the four men killed in the Ridgeback is due to take place on Monday. "There will be a vigil ceremony here in Bastion for those four soldiers as well as three other Royal Marines killed elsewhere," said Col Dunn.

"We will have the sunset vigil ceremony and then they will be repatriated in the middle of the night. It is very important for the other soldiers to be able to have the vigil for their comrades. Having seven in one day is un- usual, but not unique."

The commander also spoke about the end of the conflict and said British forces may be out of Afghanistan in about five years.

His prediction came weeks after David Cameron hinted at an end game but at the same time tried to reassure Britain's US allies and Afghans of his commitment to the mission.

Col Dunn said: "The business of the end [of the conflict in Afghanistan] may be a fair statement but it could take two or three years. I wouldn't say the end is in sight but we now know where the end is and how we can work towards it.

"However, the full withdrawal of our troops from the country would take at least a couple of years. It could be three to five years before we are out completely. But we are determined to leave here with the country under the stable governance of the Afghans."